Job Description

Position Title: Surgery Animal Care Attendant

Reports to: Lead Anesthesia RVT

Department: Surgery

Status: Full-Time Permanent (40 hours per week)

Prerequisites

High school diploma Further veterinary professional training as VOA, VMA, etc will be considered an asset Able to stand for long periods of time (10 hours) Able to lift 50lbs (22kg) Exhibit compassion and patience Strong patient restraint skills Understanding of veterinary hospital flow Knowledge of the scope of practice for hospital staff Strong communication skills Basic understanding of medical terminology Ability to be on time and prepared to work at the beginning of your scheduled shift Ability to communicate with clients in a friendly, compassionate and professional manner (both verbally and electronically) Working Conditions: May be exposed to unpleasant odors, noises, bodily fluids, and feces. May be exposed to bites, scratches, and contagious diseases.

Position Summary

To provide support to the Surgery Team, including gold standard nursing and comfort care to our surgical patients, with clear and effective client communication. This will be a very important accessory role to our surgery department and will include assisting with treatments and updating owners as requested.
This role will work under the direction of the Surgery RVTs with a primary focus on comfort care for surgical patients. Some cross-training and assisting in other departments may be required as requested.

Essential Job Functions

Ability to safely and comfortably restrain a variety of species of animals for procedures such as blood collection, IV catheter placement, etc. Have knowledge of biosecurity protocols Responsible for surgery room set-up, clean up, and quick turn over between procedures Prepare supplies for surgery and clean up following surgical procedures as required Perform decontamination, inspection, assembly, sterilization, and storage of surgical supplies Report problems or malfunctioning equipment to supervisor Operate, clean, and perform departmental routine maintenance on all equipment Perform quality assurance tests to ensure that the sterilization process is effective Perform inventory management of supplies and pharmaceuticals as required, including ordering, receiving, storage, and handling Notify the medical team of any concerns with patient attitude, stress, changes to appetite etc. Manage, direct and sort incoming calls and messages to the appropriate team member Become familiar with and use internal messaging and invoicing functions Document in detail dietary intake, walks, urination, defecation, and other fluid losses Provide mentorship and support to the kennel staff team Provide a variety of oral nutrition options and hand feed if necessary Provide environmental enrichment (Kongs, toys, treats, iPad, music, Feliway etc.) for hospitalized patients Grooming and cleaning of patients as necessary Monitor and encourage natural bathroom breaks Facilitate safe, organized family visits for hospitalized patients Clean kennels and ready them for new patients Other supportive tasks as deemed necessary

Background for Development and Importance of This Role

The need for this accessory role has risen due to the shortage of veterinary professionals. When examining the day-to-day work of registered veterinary professionals, we need to highlight what is in their scope of practice and place an emphasis of time on those activities for them. In a busy hospital, their medical expertise is prioritized, and the non-medical activities become less of a focus. Boreal Veterinary Centre feels that those "non-medical" activities are often under emphasized and strive to include non-registered support staff as an integral part of the medical care team to provide a gold standard of care.

Company Benefits

Joining the Boreal Veterinary Centre team means you'll enjoy an array of perks, including:

Competitive compensation package Personal pet discounts Uniform allowance Abundant opportunities for growth and professional development Access to a diverse team of specialists and experienced Veterinarians and RVTs

How to Apply

Interested in the role and think this would be a great opportunity for you? Send your resume and cover letter to daniella.cox@borealvet.com and in the subject line include the position "Surgery ACA".